Seasonal Program Specialist - South/Southwest

Summary of Position : The Seasonal Program Specialist’s primary responsibility is to facilitate and monitor the day-today logistics of After School Matters programs within an assigned branch. The Program Specialist will conduct site visits, observations and provide recommendations regarding program quality, safety, compliance, instruction, program attendance, enrollment and retention and other critical issues. Acting as the liaison between After School Matters and the program providers and community partners, the Program Specialist will communicate requirements, policy changes and other relevant information to ensure successful implementation of the program, payment to teens and instructors.

Major Duties and Responsibilities :

• Act as a day-to-day contact person with instructors and school staff for programs;
• Develop and maintain relationships with program partners and instructors;
• Conduct regular program site visits of each program in their portfolio
• Act as a trouble shooter in the areas of program implementation, logistics, and data collection;
• Enter data into Cityspan;
• Plan, schedule and organize all assigned school and community meetings, etc.;
• Assist in implementing, effective teen recruitment and retention strategies for programs;
• Act as a liaison between Program Operations and program providers;
• Trouble shoot teen application and other systems errors;
• Ensure that all required data, i.e. attendance, enrollment, program verifications, surveys, etc. are entered into the database system;
• Provide direction to the coordinator and ensure compliance with program requirements;
• Work with the Program Quality team, Program Operations and Contracting, to ensure that all assigned programs are in compliance with After School Matters policies and procedures;
• Attend program closings and demonstrations of learning;
• Working with the branch teams, identify public media opportunities and share with the branch Program Director and the Communications department;
• Working with the Program Manager, approve intern timecards;
• Conduct one on one meetings with partners, instructors and coordinators when needed;
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Program Administration Interns

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Skilled in developing and facilitating collaborative relationships
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing teams
• Excellent organizational skills and problem solving abilities
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Excellent Microsoft Office skills; ability to collect and maintain information as needed
• Demonstrated experience in project management
• Ability to multi-task and meet deadlines
• Ability to work in a fast paced, high energy environment
• Respect for all levels of the organization and outside partners
• Energetic team player who works well in collaborative situations
• Strong orientation to customer service

Required Qualifications :

• Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred though not required
• Valid Driver’s License, insured transportation, and driving record that satisfies our Motor Vehicle Policy required1

Schedule:

• 40 hours per week
• Ability to travel to ASM sites as needed

Compensation : $25 / hour

About Us: After School Matters is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that annually offers after-school and summer programs to nearly 19,000 Chicago high school teens to explore and develop their talents while gaining critical skills that will set them up for success in college and beyond.

Thirty-five years later, now known as After School Matters, our program has engaged more than 450,000 Chicago teens and is the nation’s largest and most successful provider of after-school and summer programs for high school teens. No other organization offers programs to high school students at the scale and quality that we do.

We offer paid apprenticeships led by professionals in the fields of arts, communications and leadership, sports, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Our nationally respected youth development model has been replicated in cities across the country and earned us the City Livability Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Programs take place at community locations throughout the city, including four ASM buildings: downtown at Gallery 37 Center for the Arts and Orleans, the Michael and Karyn Lutz Center in Belmont Cragin, and the Pullman community at Gately Park. Currently, After School Matters' annual operating budget is approximately $48M and employs approximately 500 staff across the organization. For more information, visit

EEO: After School Matters is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, military discharge status, age, marital status, parental status, or source of income.